Sleepy Hollow Eichler homes are a small 1970s group of Eichler houses in Sleepy Hollow, an unincorporated community of Marin County next to the Town of San Anselmo. The archive of Claude Oakland's firm records the subdivision as "Sleepy Hollow," Unit II, for two of Joseph Eichler's companies, with dates from 1971 to 1974.
This post covers what that archive, Marin County's parcel and zoning data and the Town of San Anselmo's General Plan say about the tract, what published accounts add, and what to check before you buy or remodel. For the town, see our San Anselmo mid-century modern page.
What the archive records
UC Berkeley's Environmental Design Archives holds the Oakland & Imada Collection, which documents the projects of Claude Oakland's firm, Oakland & Imada, and its predecessor, Claude Oakland & Associates. Its finding aid says Eichler project records make up the bulk of the collection. The collection's project index has a row for "Sleepy Hollow":
Development: "Unit II," with San Anselmo as the location.
Dates: 1971 to 1974, listed as "residential: sub-division."
Developers: J.L. Eichler Associates, Inc. and Alsco Homes, Inc.
Models: 13 codes: MC-4, MC-14, MC-24, MC-54, MC-54M, MC-74, MC-84, MC-84A, MC-84B, PA-305M, W-35, W-35M and W-44.
Files: manuscript box 11, folder 92, and drawings box 14, folder 216.
A second row records a single lot, "Sleepy Hollow Unit II Lot 3," dated 1972, with model MC-24M, for J.L. Eichler Associates. Neither row names an architect. The drawings sit in the archive of Claude Oakland's firm, but no record we read credits the design of these houses to a named architect.
Eichler's later companies and the model codes
The finding aid lists Joseph Eichler's development companies with their dates: Eichler Homes, Inc. (1950–1968), J.L. Eichler Associates, Inc. (1966–1972), Nonpareil Homes, Inc. (1967) and Alsco Homes, Inc. (1973–1974). The two companies on the Sleepy Hollow row are the second and the fourth, and their dates together span the row's 1971 to 1974.
The finding aid also explains the codes: "Eichler house models are identified by a naming system reflecting the subdivision location code and model number (ex. MC-184 for Marin County model 184)." The index's key assigns:
MC to "Lucas Valley, Sleepy Hollow" in Marin County, and on a separate line to Palo Alto;
PA to Glenwood and Los Arboles in Palo Alto;
W to Valley Vista in Walnut Creek.
So most Sleepy Hollow models carry Marin County codes, and four carry codes the key ties to Palo Alto and Walnut Creek tracts. A separate "MC models" row, marked "see also Lucas Valley & Sleepy Hollow," dates the Marin County models to 1960–1966 and 1972–1974, and MC-24 also appears in the index's Lucas Valley row. For that tract, see our Lucas Valley Eichler history.
Where Sleepy Hollow is, and whose rules apply
San Anselmo's General Plan describes Butterfield Road as "a two-lane arterial which connects the unincorporated community of Sleepy Hollow with Sir Francis Drake Boulevard." The U.S. Census Bureau's geocoder places a point on Catskill Court in the Sleepy Hollow census-designated place in Marin County, outside any incorporated city or town.
Marin County's parcel layer lists 9 parcels on Catskill Court and 15 on Katrina Lane, the two streets that published accounts name for the tract. All 24 are coded "Single-Resid. - Improved," all carry the jurisdiction "Unincorporated," and their addresses read San Anselmo, 94960. The town's own parcel layer has no parcels on either street. The county's community boundary layer places all 24 inside "Sleepy Hollow," and its zoning layer gives each one the code R1-BD, described as "Residential Single Family."
So zoning here comes from the county's map, not the town's, and the County of Marin's planning staff are the people to ask about remodel rules. We read no county design guideline or overlay for the tract; the county's website blocks automated reads, so we couldn't check its pages. San Anselmo's own General Plan policies apply inside the town's limits.
What published accounts add
No official record we read ties "Unit II" to particular streets or dates the construction. Two 2022 published accounts do. Treat these as their claims:
The Eichlers are on Catskill Court and Katrina Lane, two streets that loop off Butterfield Road.
They were built along both sides of a creek in 1972 and 1973, on the site of a former horse stable. The archive's dates run from 1971 to 1974, so the two sources differ at the edges.
The street names come from Washington Irving's story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."
Neither account names the architect.
Sleepy Hollow Creek and the trail
The same accounts say Sleepy Hollow Creek runs past most backyards, and that Eichler built a woodland trail along the creek at homeowners' request, which ties into a wider trail network.
Official data gives a partial picture:
Flood zone. At the center of each of the 24 parcels, FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer shows Zone X, "area of minimal flood hazard." A center reading says nothing about the creek bank at the back of a lot. Look up the whole lot on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center.
Creek policy. San Anselmo's General Plan calls for a flood channel on San Anselmo Creek and Sleepy Hollow Creek "of adequate width and properly maintained to allow passage of flood waters and preservation of riparian vegetation and habitat." That is town policy; ask the county what applies to the creek in Sleepy Hollow.
Fire hazard zone. CAL FIRE's State Responsibility Area data shows a Moderate fire hazard severity zone touching each of the 24 parcels, and no higher zone. For how hazard zones come up in a sale, see our natural hazard disclosure guide.
This is general information as of November 2026, not legal advice. Confirm zoning, hazards and any easement with the County of Marin, a title company or an attorney.
What to check before you buy or remodel
The jurisdiction. Confirm on the parcel record that the lot is unincorporated, and ask the county which rules apply to its R1-BD zoning before you plan an addition.
The build date and builder. The county layer we read has no build year or builder. Ask for the assessor and permit records, and remember that a street name alone doesn't make a house an Eichler.
The original drawings. The Environmental Design Archives' files for the tract may carry the house's model code, such as MC-24M. The index gives the box and folder numbers above.
The creek edge and the trail. If a lot backs onto the creek or the trail, ask the title company what easements or rights are on record, and have the bank's condition checked.
The permit history. Check the permit history to see what was changed and when.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sleepy Hollow part of San Anselmo?
No. San Anselmo's General Plan calls Sleepy Hollow an unincorporated community, and Marin County's parcel records list the parcels on Catskill Court and Katrina Lane as unincorporated, though their addresses read San Anselmo.
When were the Sleepy Hollow Eichlers built?
The archive dates the subdivision to 1971 through 1974 and one lot record to 1972. Published accounts say 1972 and 1973. We found no county build year we could read for these parcels.
Who designed them?
The archive row names only the developers, J.L. Eichler Associates and Alsco Homes. The files are in the archive of Claude Oakland's firm, but no record we read names the architect, so treat any design credit with care.
How many Eichlers are in Sleepy Hollow?
No official record we read gives a count. County parcel records show 24 parcels on the two streets that published accounts name, and not every house on them has to be an Eichler.
Related reading
Lucas Valley Eichler History: Upper and Lower Tracts in Marin
Mill Valley Eichler History: Strawberry Point's Harbor Point
More guides on this topic: Eichler Neighborhoods & Tract Histories
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Want help sorting out the records on a Sleepy Hollow Eichler, or what the county allows? Call or text the Boyenga Team at Compass at (408) 373-1660 or (650) 383-8606, or contact the Boyenga Team online.
